Strange things I have in head, that will to hand, / Which must be acted ere they may be scann’d.
Act III, Scene 4 · Macbeth
Context
Macbeth resolves to act on violent impulses immediately, before he has time to reflect on them.
Analysis
Macbeth describes thought moving to action—'head...to hand'—but reverses the usual priority: things 'must be acted ere they may be scann'd' puts doing before thinking. The verb 'scann'd' (meaning examined or analyzed) is what Macbeth now refuses; he's adopting a policy of pre-emptive action to avoid the paralysis that reflection brings. The syntax itself rushes forward, matching the haste it advocates.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Macbeth tries to outrun conscience by rejecting thought—this quote shows him embracing impulsivity as strategy, revealing how tyranny depends on refusing to examine one's own actions.